Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!chinet!patrick From: patrick@chinet.chi.il.us (Patrick A. Townson) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: FYI -- PC-P Price "Increase" Message-ID: <7428@chinet.chi.il.us> Date: 11 Jan 89 08:21:49 GMT References: <7342@chinet.chi.il.us> <824@kimbal.UUCP> <7354@chinet.chi.il.us> <158@usl-pc.usl.edu> Reply-To: patrick@chinet.chi.il.us (Patrick A. Townson) Organization: Chinet - Public Access Unix Lines: 61 In article <158@usl-pc.usl.edu> writes: > >I have no problem with $1 per hour. I do have a problem with the >rapidly escalating rates -- $4.50/hour, then $7.50/hour. > >I use PC Pursuit to call BBS's. I average about 60 hours a month. I'd >be quite willing to pay for such usage, but not at rates that make Ma >Bell look great. Getting a Trailblazer, Reach Out America ($7.10/hour >after the first hour) and a limited personal newsfeed for myself would >make better sense than using PC Pursuit after the first 30 hours. Telenet rates: 30 x $1 = $30 30 x $4.50 = $135.00 Total 60 hours = $165.00 AT&T Reach Out 60 x 7.10 = $426.00 Who comes up looking great? >It usually takes me about 30 minutes of heavy demon-dialing to get >through to a BBS.... And a one minute forgiveness will be standard from now on. In other words, Telenet is saying if you get a busy signal, or a dead modem, whatever, if you will *immediatly* disconnect, within one minute, the time will not be counted. > >Obviously, Telenet needed to do something. Unlimited usage simply bred >too much abuse. I expected them to set a cap, and hourly rates for >usage in excess of that cap. I did NOT expect them to set those hourly >rates higher than is available via AT&T. Note that since 70% is a good >file-transfer throughput via Telenet, and because AT&T doesn't charge >until after connection, if you're calling long distance BBS's AT&T >becomes more economical after 30 hours even if you're stuck at a lowly >2400 baud (at 9600 baud, Telenet would have to charge around >$1.36/hour to be competitive). Maybe, maybe not. There have been disputes on the Net Exchange about the throughput rate for as long as I have read it. Not everyone shares your statistics. You make a good point though, however as I said above, Telenet will not charge for the first minute. They will not charge when you are at the network prompt (@) waiting to go somewhere. The charging will be done *when you connect somewhere until you disconnect back to the network*. >I have heard rumors that Tymnet is now thinking about offering a >competing service, now that Telenet has dropped the ball so badly. I >hope that they carefully survey the market, and offer rates which >a) accurately reflect their costs (this was PC Pursuit's big problem >-- FairyLand rates) and b) are competitive with anything out there. Tymnet has had an outdial service for several years, but it is used by commercial customers (as was Telenet's until PCP started.) Tymnet currently gets several bucks per hour for their outdials, AND they charge for the cost of the telephone call off net as well. In fact, they charge 110% of telco rates; the extra 10% being for their 'service charges'. -- Patrick Townson patrick@chinet.chi.il.us / US Mail: 60690-1570 (personal zip code) FIDO: 115/743 / AT&T Mail: 529-6378 (!ptownson) / MCI Mail: 222-4956